Bus Drivers Industrial Action, Sydney and Central Coast

Aug 30, 2018

Members of the public will experience free travel on some Sydney and Central Coast bus journeys beginning Monday 3 September, when TWU NSW bus driver members at five Busways depots take protected industrial action.

To bring attention to Busways’ refusal to negotiate a fair Enterprise Agreement (EA), TWU members at the following Busways depots will take part in the action:

·Penrith

·Blacktown

·Windsor

·Gosford

·Wyong

Busways is refusing to give its bus drivers not just what they deserve, but what they need to live with dignity and stay afloat. The company has displayed a continued lack of respect for its drivers, trying to lock them into an EA which offers only a paltry pay rise and a stagnant rate of superannuation that puts them lower than every other industry.

The industrial action, protected under section 414 of the Fair Work Act 2009, will take place in the following ways:

·Unlimited ban on the use of ticket machines on related fare collection devices (Opal card readers)

“No-one wants to have to take industrial action, but Busways has left our members with no other choice. We have been trying to negotiate a fair deal since 2017, but Busways management has repeatedly rejected the majority of our log of claims.

“They simply are not listening properly to their drivers, so we have to make them listen. We don’t want to affect members of the public if we don’t have to, so we will be maintaining services while hitting Busways management where it hurts – their pockets.

“It is not too late for Busways to avoid this. We are more than ready to discuss a fair and respectful deal.”